Literary Societies and Publications

The Harman Literary Society was founded on October 21, 1896.  The original fifteen members gathered in the parlor of Lloyd Hall to formulate a constitution and decide upon a name. Someone suggested, perhaps facetiously, that they name their organization after Professor Henry Harman, a member of the Class of 1848 and a staunch opponent of coeducation, particularly at Dickinson. The suggestion met with approval, and several members duly approached the retired professor about naming their society after him. While he might not have approved of women at Dickinson, much less their founding of an intellectual organization, Harman good-naturedly did permit the use of his name for the society. Thus on November 12, 1896, the constitution was adopted and the Harman Literary Society became an official organization on campus.

Established in 1913, this literary society of the Dickinson Preparatory School was named in honor of William Albert Hutchison, class of 1892 and headmaster of the School from 1904 to 1917. The society was active for only one year, and no other information regarding it is available.

Dickinson College’s second literary society for women, the McIntire Literary Society, was founded in 1921. It was named in honor of Professor Bradford O. McIntire, who had been teaching at the college for 30 years at the time the society was established. The McIntire Society seems to have been active for only one year.

During the early twentieth century, hazing was on the rise on many American college campuses. Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania was no exception to this increase, with its main concentration founded in an organization called The Sophomore Band. The Sophomore Band had its own publication entitled The Onion, which was published sporadically from about 1907 to 1911. A copy of the newspaper could be purchased for five cents from the U.S. Lease's News Depot on West Main Street in Carlisle.

The first issue of The Onion stated, "We print ALL THE NEWS, fit or unfit, with preference to the latter." This publication also claimed to be "Published in Hell, under the direct supervision of the Devil." The editors of the paper, members of the Sophomore Band, were attempting to improve and make for a better Dickinson College.